Archer-Daniels-Midland Flour Mill / Silos

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For many people, ADM's flour mill in Fourth Ward is an eyesore that ruins the first impression vista while entering the city on Brookshire 277. For others, it is a benign industrial presence that adds a mixture of uses to downtown.

I know may people think it is a concrete plant, as there is a small warehouse building next to it, with a painted wall with the word "Cement" on it which is visible from the freeway. However, in reality this is a grain mill that create flour. I have read before that it is the largest grain mill in the south east, but I'm not sure. It is highly likely that much of the bread that we all eat had its primary ingredient processed at this plant.

It has been known for more than 5 years that as part of the Multimodal Train/Bus station on Trade Street, NCDOT might relocate the ADM plant from uptown. The reason is the plant sits at the junction of the NS and CSX railroad tracks, with the plant being in the middle. As new and additional tracks are added toward to Gateway Station, they must avoid the cemetary. So all of those constraints are made to be extra difficult with a large operating industrial facility in the middle of it all.

It is generally believed that the quality of life will also be improved for 4th Ward residents, as the associated traffic, industrial noise, truck noise, and train noise would be removed. With crossings removed, trains will not need to blow their horns at all in 4th Ward.

What are some of your thoughts on this facility? Do you think that the quality of life for uptown residents will be enough of a benefit to outway the loss of industrial jobs downtown? Did the function of the facility, in feeding the city, outway the ugliness of its form?

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What are some of your thoughts on this facility? Do you think that the quality of life for uptown residents will be enough of a benefit to outway the loss of industrial jobs downtown? Did the function of the facility, in feeding the city, outway the ugliness of its form?

Since I grew up here the silos for ADM are a permanent part of my perception of downtown. That doesn't mean I would not want to see them go. They occupy a huge site that could be much better served with something else. A parcel this industrial is out of step with the current center city. There are some really cool warehouses and buildings on the site that would be great for new uses -- lots with train depot shed roofs, loading docks, etc.

I do hope this goes though, I used to work nearby and the noise from the train horns is so loud you have to put phone calls on hold until they get by. The trucks can be a bother too.

I've always thought the silos themselves should be painted like a huge six-pack of bud tallboys.